Thursday, May 16, 2013OT/DE Beh leaning heavily to one school
By Josh Moyer

OT/DE Noah Beh (Scranton, Pa./Scranton Prep) finds that thoughts of his two top schools -- Boston College and Penn State -- often pop up in those quiet times when he's by himself.

He's thought heavily on the merits of each school for about a month. And, Beh said, that time alone and the talks with those close to him has helped him realize one thing: He's favoring one school, and he could commit soon.

"I think I'm pretty close to making a decision," he said. "And I'm feeling pretty good about Penn State."

Beh didn't feel comfortable putting a number alongside that certainty. Maybe he's 75 percent sure. Maybe 90. He just knows it almost feels right. But he also knows it has to entirely feel right.

Sometimes, in the early mornings or in the late evenings, he'll try reflecting on the "big picture" as he calls it. There are the coaches and distance from home, the team chemistry and relationships. He believes Penn State satisfies all that. In a 20-minute conversation, he mentioned Boston College only twice.

But there's just something else holding him back. He knows this decision will determine the next four years of his life, which in turn will help determine the rest of his life. This past month has helped him arrive at leaning one way, especially after PSU assistant coach Mac McWhorter repeated several times, "Think about the things most important to you, and then it should all fall together."

The 6-foot-7 prospect has thought about that. And he's constantly come back to Penn State.

"It's definitely a big opportunity. A lot of kids haven't gotten that chance, and right now a lot of kids aren't getting that opportunity," he said. "That's not the only reason, you know? It's not just, 'Oh this is a big opportunity so I have to take it.' I look at everything.

"It hasn't just been the players or the coaches. It's everything. I like the school and the facilities and everything. I had a good visit on Junior Day and at the Blue-White Game, and I really like Coach Mac."

When McWhorter asked Beh what else he needs to see or what might push him to 100 percent, even Beh isn't sure how to respond. He doesn't know. So PSU's offensive line coach suggested a visit might help.

Beh thinks that might be just what he needs, too. So once this school year is over, likely sometime in June and possibly for a camp, Beh plans to visit Happy Valley once more. There's nothing he specifically wants to see; he just wants some reassurance, some peace of mind.

When Jared Wangler's circumstance was mentioned -- a heavy PSU lean who needed a visit to push him to 100 percent -- Beh said that sounded a lot like his situation. Beh didn't grow up a Penn State fan -- which he counts as a plus since that fandom hasn't clouded his judgment -- and he often thinks about staying close to home and representing his state in the FBS.

"I kind of go with my gut," Beh said. "Obviously there's a lot of think with that but, ultimately, I think with what Coach Mac's been telling me, to think about what's important to me.